Where was Joseph during Jesus's adulthood?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Joseph is last mentioned during Jesus's childhood and is not mentioned during His adulthood, indicating he likely passed away before Jesus began His public ministry. This assumption is supported by Jesus entrusting Mary to John's care in John 19:26–27, suggesting Joseph had died. Joseph's absence during Jesus's ministry brings to light the importance of living faithfully in God's purposes during our lifetime. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Joseph's life encourages us to live faithfully, serving God and others with love and dedication, trusting that our actions contribute to His greater story.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Joseph is mentioned at numerous times during the early childhood of Jesus but is last mentioned when Jesus was twelve years old. Jesus had stayed behind at the temple while His parents searched for Him for three days (Luke 2:41–50).
• Since Joseph is not mentioned during the public ministry of Jesus, most scholars assume Joseph died sometime between the twelve-year-old temple account (approximately 8–12 A.D.) and when Jesus began His public ministry around 27–29 A.D. at "about thirty years of age" (Luke 3:23). For example, early in His ministry, Jesus is at a family wedding where Mary is mentioned but not Joseph (John 2:1–12).
• Later during the ministry of Jesus, some asked, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?" (Matthew 13:55–56). Joseph also had a son named Joseph, yet Mary's husband Joseph was not mentioned by name. This could possibly be because Joseph had already passed away and was no longer attending the local synagogue.
• In John 19:26–27, Jesus commanded the apostle John to care for His mother Mary. This certainly would not have taken place if Joseph had still been alive. The natural conclusion is that Joseph had died before the public ministry of Jesus began.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The life of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, emphasizes the importance of living well in God's purposes during our time on earth. Despite not being prominently mentioned during Jesus's public ministry, Joseph faithfully fulfilled his role in raising and caring for Jesus and his family during their early years. His obedience to God's guidance and his commitment to his family show us that our actions, even in seemingly ordinary moments, matter greatly in God's plan. Joseph's example urges us to live faithfully, serving God and others with love and dedication while we are alive, trusting that our obedience to God's purposes, no matter how quiet or unseen, contributes to His greater story unfolding in the world.

UNDERSTAND

• Joseph is not mentioned after Jesus is twelve years old.
• Jesus entrusts Mary's care to John at His crucifixion.
• Most people believe that Joseph died before Jesus reached adulthood.

REFLECT

• How does Joseph life challenge your understanding of faithfulness in ordinary roles?
• What inspiration do you draw from Joseph's commitment to family and obedience to God?
• How can Joseph's example encourage you to serve faithfully in your own life, even if it is unnoticed?

ENGAGE

• How old would Joseph have been? No exact dates are certain, but if Joseph married Mary as a young adult, say at age twenty, his death before the public ministry of Jesus at around the age of thirty would have made him approximately fifty years old. If Joseph died a few years earlier, he would have died in his forties, not uncommon for a man living in that time period. Early readers of the Gospels would not have been surprised to see Joseph unmentioned if he was deceased at the time the events unfolded.
• Many apocryphal traditions have developed concerning the death of Joseph. One account called the "Story of Joseph the Carpenter" claims Joseph lived to one-hundred-eleven years old and died on July 20 in either 18 or 19 A.D. St. Epiphanius claimed Joseph lived to the age of ninety. These later accounts cannot be trusted. The most likely scenario is that Joseph died in his forties and was buried in Nazareth before Jesus began His public ministry.
• How does Joseph's absence during Jesus's ministry impact our understanding of Jesus's humanity and the dynamics of his earthly family?